Needle operating mechanism for looms



Dec. 13, 1966 .11. P. GAGLIARDO 332M315 NEEDLE OPERATING MEcHANIsM FOR LOOMS Filed June 7, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR JOHN F? GAGLIARDO 4-0 BYUWW ATTORNEY o D R m L e A a R l NEEDLE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June '7, 1965 INVENTOR JOHN P GAGLIARDO BYwMwfl/W' ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,291,159 NEEDLE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS John P. Gagliardo, Shrewsbury, Mass, .assignor to Crompton & Knowles Corporation, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed June 7, 1965, Ser. No. 461,620 3 Claims. (Cl. 139--124) This invention relates to improvements in mechanisms for operating weft inserting needle carriers of the type shown in Turner Patents Nos. 2,625,959 and 2,902,057, more particularly like that shown in Patent No. 2,902,057 but where there are two weft inserting needle carriers for weaving two separate fabrics side by side.

In high speed needle looms of the type described above there is provided for each carrier a uniformly rotating actuator and a pivoting link which rocks about a fixed pivot and is pivotally connected to said carrier. The actuator and link cooperating to operate the carrier to move the needle through the warp shed in a smooth continuous tear drop path having an accelerated motion while it is in the warp shed and retarded motion while it is out of the shed to provide sufficient time for the harness mechanism to change warp sheds between successive insertions of the needle.

Very high speeds have been attained in needle looms because of the mechanism just described but they have generally been limited to weaving cloth in the range of /2" to 1 /2, any increase in size of weaving components results in a reduction of weaving speed. With this thought in mind it is the object of the present invention to provide a pair of cross links connecting both carriers so that each carrier imparts a motion to the other carriers so as to move each needle in a path having a greater width as was possible with the weft inserting mechanism described above without an appreciable increase in size of weft inserting components or a reduction in weaving speed.

Other objects and the details of that which is novel will be clear from the following description and claims taken with the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated an example of a device embodying the present invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view illustrating the invention as applied to a needle loom,

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2, FIGURE 1 and looking in the direction of the arrow,

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the motions of the various components of the weft inserting mechanism.

Referring particularly to FIGURE 1 there is shown a needle loom with the usual harness frame 4 reciprocable vertically in guides 5 and 6 by mechanism, not shown, but similar to that employed in Patent No. 2,625,959. The harness frames actuate the warps 8 to form two separate sheds through which the wefts 10 are inserted to form fabrics 12.

The loom operates with the usual beat up means 14 and selvage forming mechanism 16.

Supported on a table 18 are right and left weft inserting means 20 and 22 which include right and left hand weft needle members 24 and 26 each with a weft inserting eye 28 at its forward end. Located below the members 24 and 26 are right and left actuators 30 and 32 which are fixed to vertical shafts 33 and 34 respectively. Shafts 33 and 34 are supported in table 18 and are continuously driven in synchronism through equal bevel gears 36 which mesh with bevel gears 38 on a drive shaft 40. Drive shaft 40 is driven by other conventional driving means, not shown, in timed relation with other operating 3,291,159 Patented Dec. 13, 1966 ice mechanisms of the loom. By this driving arrangement actuators 30 and 32 rotate constantly at equal rates although actuator 30 rotates counter-clockwise and actuator 32 rotates clockwise as viewed in FIGURE 1.

Needle member 24 is pivotally attached to actuator 30 at a point spaced from its needle 28 through a pivot pin 42 whose axis is also vertical but spaced from shaft 33 and consequently for every rotation of the shaft 33, pin 42 turns in a circle around the axis of shaft 33 said circle being designated by the reference character 44, FIGURE 3. Needle member 26 is likewise pivotally connected at a point spaced from its needle 28 to actuator 32 by a pivot pin 46 which rotates around the axis of shaft 34 in a circular path designated by the reference character 48, FIGURE 3.

Needle members 24 and 26 are drivingly interconnected by cross links 50 and 52. Cross link 50 is pivotally connected at one end to needle member 24 through previously mentioned pivot 42 and at its other end to a pivot 56 on a portion of needle member 26 which is further forward of needle eye 28 than is pivot 46. The other cross link 52 is pivotally connected at one end to needle member 24 at pivot 46 and at its other end to member 24 through a pivot pin 54 located on a portion of member 24 which is forward of pivot 42.

The effect of interconnecting members 24 and 26 through links 50 and 52 in the manner just described is to give both needle members a compound motion. Referring to FIGURE 3, as pivots 42 and 46 rotate in previously mentioned circular paths 44 and 48 respectively portions of their respective needle members right at the pivot points also move substantially in a circle. Portions of needle members 24 and 26 directly adjacent their respective pivots 54 and 56 move in a path designated by reference characters 58 and 60 respectively. The resulting motion for both weft needle members at the point of the weft inserting eye is in the form of a tear shaped path designated by the reference character 62 which the eyes form as they carry the weft threads 10 through their respective sheds once for each rotation of actuators 30 and 32.

In weaving, both needle eyes 28 move toward each other from the extreme outer position shown in full lines to the dotted line portion in FIGURE 3 and then away from each other toward the full line positions. The distances between the inner and outer positions of the needle eyes 28 are twice as much as would be obtained if the actuators alone were used to drive their respective needle members with the forward portion pivoted, as for instance in Turner Patent No. 2,902,057, without any increase in the front to back motion of the needle eye.

Having described the invention what is now claimed is:

1. In a needle loom for weaving two fabrics side by side, a warp shed for each fabric, weft inserting means comprising:

(a) two weft needle members, one for each fabric, each needle member having a weft eye at the rear end thereof,

(b) two continuously rotating eccentric actuators having equal rates of rotation, one actuator for each needle member driving a portion of same in a circle,

(c) two crossing driving links connecting both weft needle members so that each weft needle member imparts an additional motion to the other member to move said Weft eyes back and forth through their respective warp sheds once for each rotation of said actuators.

2. In a needle loom for weaving two fabrics side by side, a warp shed for each fabric, weft inserting means comprising:

(a) two weft needle members, one for each fabric,

each needle member having a first and second pivot point and a weft eye at the rear end thereof,

(b) two continuously rotating eccentric actuators having equal rates of rotation, one actuator for each of said weft carriers and being connected to said weft carrier at said first pivot point to drive said first pivot point in a circle,

(c) two cross driving links connecting the first pivot point of each of said weft needle members to the second pivot point on the other of said weft needle members so that each weft needle member imparts an additional motion to the other member to move its weft eye back and forth through its respective warp shed.

3. In a needle loom for weaving right and left fabrics side by side, a warp shed for each fabric, weft inserting means comprising:

(a) right and left hand weft needle members for said right and left fabrics respectively each needle member having a first and second pivot and a weft eye at the rear end thereof,

(b) two continuously rotating actuators having equal rates of rotation, each actuator being pivotally connected at a distance from its center of rotation to a different one of said needle members at said first pivot point, and being effective to drive said first pivot point in a circle,

(c) two cross driving links, one link pivotally connected at one of its ends to the first pivot on said right-hand needle member and the other of its ends to the second pivot point on said left-hand needle member, the other of said two links being pivotally connected at one of its ends to the first pivot point on said left-hand needle member and the other of its ends to the second pivot point on said right-hand needle member,

(0) drive means for synchronously driving said two eccentric actuators so that the weft eyes of said weft needle members move toward each other during one half of the rotation of said actuators and away from each other during the other half of the rotation of said actuators.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,625,959 1/1953 Turner -c 139l24 2,769,462 11/1956 Libby 139-124 X MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

25 H. JAUDON, Assistant Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,291,159 December 13, 1966 John P Gagliardo It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 3, line 20, after "pivot" insert point Signed and sealed this 19th day of September 1967.

( L) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER Attesting Officer EDWARD J. BRENNER Commissioner of Patents 

1. IN A NEEDLE LOOM FOR WEAVING TWO FABRICS SIDE BY SIDE, A WARP SHED FOR EACH FABRIC, WEFT INSERTING MEANS COMPRISING: (A) TWO WEFT NEEDLE MEMBERS, ONE FOR EACH FABRIC, EACH NEEDLE MEMBER HAVING A WEFT EYE AT THE REAR END THEREOF, (B) TWO CONTINOUSLY ROTATING ECCENTRIC ACTUATORS HAVING EQUAL RATES OF ROTATION, ONE ACTUATOR FOR EACH NEEDLE MEMBER DRIVING A PORTION OF SAME IN A CIRCLE, (C) TWO CROSSING DRIVING LINKS CONNECTING BOTH WEFT NEEDLE MEMBERS SO THAT EACH WEFT NEEDLE MEMBER IMPARTS AN ADDITIONAL MOTION TO THE OTHER MEMBER TO MOVE SAID WEFT EYES BACK AND FORTH THROUGH THEIR RESPECTIVE WARP SHEDS ONCE FOR EACH ROTATION OF SAID ACTUATORS. 